Metallica

It’s almost impossible to think about heavy metal without thinking about the iconic band

Metallica, whose music has defined the genre for years, and are still going strong today. The band was first formed back in Los Angeles in 1981 when the drummer Lars Ulrich along with vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield joined forces to create what would become one of the most iconic bands in the heavy metal genre.

Their debut album was eventually named “Kill ‘Em All” after some discussion and legal issue with various record labels and was eventually released in 1983. The album managed to hit number 155 on the Billboard 200 in 1986 and although the album didn’t manage the commercial and financial success their later albums would go on to achieve, Kill ‘Em All did manage to ensure that Metallica was cemented in the underground scene and quickly became a well known name amongst heavy metal lovers as a great new band.

Their second album was arguably much more successful, the aptly named “Ride The Lightning” is considered by many fans of their earlier work to be one of their greatest albums of all time. Released in August 1984 their second offering to the heavy metal world managed to achieve the number 100 spot on the Billboard 200. With iconic tracks such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, and of course the track “Ride The Lightning” as the album was named after, there’s a lot to offer fans of heavy metal even by today’s standards.

Unfortunately after recording their third studio album “Master Of Puppets”, their bass guitar player at the time, Cliff Burton, was killed during a bus crash. This incident cast a lot of doubt into the band’s future, and even members of the band themselves thought that Cliff’s death might have ended Metallica forever. But the band managed to rally, perhaps helped with the huge amount of support they received from their fans, and they recruited a new bass player, Jason Newsted.

The band’s troubles weren’t over forever however, and a lot of their history has been plagued with issues of alcohol and drug abuse, with at one point almost all band members describing themselves as borderline alcoholics. Jasons himself eventually checked into rehab to help kick his drinking habit, and unfortunately after he left rehab he felt that he was unable to keep playing with Metallica and decided that it was his time to leave. But things wouldn’t stay bleak for Metallica for long, and they managed to recruit Ozzy Osbourne’s bass guitar player, Robert Trujillo, who brought with him his own unique style of playing, holding his bass guitar low to the ground as he almost squats while playing.

ded Metallica forever. But the band managed to rally, perhaps helped with the huge amount of support they received from their fans, and they recruited a new bass player, Jason Newsted.

The band’s troubles weren’t over forever however, and a lot of their history has been plagued with issues of alcohol and drug abuse, with at one point almost all band members describing themselves as borderline alcoholics. Jasons himself eventually checked into rehab to help kick his drinking habit, and unfortunately after he left rehab he felt that he was unable to keep playing with Metallica and decided that it was his time to leave. But things wouldn’t stay bleak for Metallica for long, and they managed to recruit Ozzy Osbourne’s bass guitar player, Robert Trujillo, who brought with him his own unique style of playing, holding his bass guitar low to the ground as he almost squats while playing.